Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1887-10-30

Believing, with our valued cores
pendent, that in the near future pep
permint culture win become an i'm
portant industry in Washington, we
cheerfully give space for the following
additional letter on that subject:
MR. Il. MEKKKR,
Az. Editor OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.
am not certain but what owe Won
q grudge for inducing me TO write Won
that brief communication on the cut
tpre and distillation Of peppermint. I
have been flooded with letters Of In.
quiry. Many Of these have answered
personally, but have called halt Ia
that line Of business, and now propose.
with your permission, to do business
more on the wholesale plan.
waat 10 repeat, in this commune
cation, a few things that | thought
expressed pretty clearly in my first,
but should Judge, from the questions
asked me, that ] did not.
First, then, peppermint is propagated
BY planting the runners or roots, and
not from the seed. do not know
where any quantity Of roots can be OBJ
tanned in this Territory OF on this
coast. They can be obtained from ST.
| Joseph county, Michigan.
The ground ought TO be well pre-
pared and the roots dropped in fur
row and lightly covered. The roots
should be from eight to nine inches
apart, and the burrows or rows about
eighteen inches apart. The weeds and
grass ought to be kept down the first
year; after that the mint wiz take care
Of itself and occupy the whole ground.
Moist land gives the most luxuriani
growth, but dryer land compensates
Ter luxuriAnce 20 some extent by bet.
ter quality Of oil and 8 greater yield
for the same bulk.
Il can be and usually Il cut twice {
tyear-the hrst cutting IN July, the las
In October. Frost, unless very severe
does not injure 1t. From ton and /
half to two tons per acre for the frs
lcatting would be bag yield; the las
cutting would not be 80 large. The Of
is principally in the leaves Hence tn
| long continued and severe drought il
Michigan this year, causing the leave
to fall Of, has made the crop welinigl
failure in that State.
IL The yield, from the best Information
II can obtain, VIII not be over i've o
six pounds OF oil 10 the acre. Their
viii probablyg however, be some com
) | pensation in the increased price. w
! hive nothing 10 fear in that regard i
this climate. The only importan
question to solve here is, how wiz
ol7 how many pounds viii Il yiel
! per acref Some friends down Ia "a
Straits OF Fuea write me that they dil
tiled two hundred rounds Of mint an
Got one pound Of oil. Their appliances
r we're not adapted 90 the purpose {
Z Oscillation, and did not save all q
iOii. This crude experiment, howeTei
: shows that the mint grown in this 81
e mate Is rich IN OH. Considering, thel
!. that the expense Of raising, cuttin
= and distiiling . crop Of peppermint
not much greater than thai Of cuttin
, and taking care 81 crop Of hay, an
Q that the cost 81 q first class stin vi
!, not exceed two hundred dollars. an
that it has the capzcity for the dis&illi
s ton Of from ferty 20 sixty acres ,
' mint, and the prospect b nos very d
4 couraging-
portanoe. In the mint-prodacing d
d tricts Ia The States. when The mint
zine for thecycle they are liahle 10 haI
warra showers succeeded BY burniz
suushina, Under these conditions 4
. mint dirtills Itself, aud the volatile Z
= ails TIE Air 10 eli the mint region. II
J. resulting n great waste % the grove
Weare not snhiecf 10 that condition
things Ia this climate.
q Whaf we ned for ne euiidine 81
:, = pFosPaEcas and pgpalsua eenms